This true-colour picture of the Venetian Lagoon in northern Italy was acquired by the IRIDE satellites on 17 Might 2026. It exhibits the town of Venice, with its distinctive Grand Canal curving via the historic centre, surrounded by the blue waters of the lagoon and numerous islands.
Zoom in to discover this picture at its full decision.
Venice got here to prominence as a maritime republic and seafaring continues to be an essential a part of the town’s id, in addition to a key type of native transport. The white trails left by boats are clearly seen in a number of the busy waterways across the lagoon – together with on the south facet of the town, close to the Murano islands to the north and the Vignole islands to the east.
In addition to its well-known canal networks, the lagoon’s panorama additionally consists of mud flats, salt marshes and shallow tidal waters. Sediment suspended within the water causes elements of the picture to look shiny blue, whereas the darkish blue is the place the water is clearer. The ocean is a darker shade of blue within the lower-right nook of the picture, the place Venice Lido, with its white-sand seashore, borders the Adriatic Sea.
In depth salt marshes – identified domestically as ‘barene’ – are seen within the top-right a part of the picture. This space of wetland seems brown and darkish inexperienced within the picture and is a vital habitat for migrating birds. The lengthy purple roof seen within the midst of the brown marshland is an historic constructing – Nuovo Lazzaretto – as soon as a monastery and later used as a sanatorium.
Different distinguished landmarks seen on this picture embody the three.8-km railway bridge connecting Venezia Santa Lucia station with the mainland, the massive port on the west of the town, and the Giudecca island to the south.
The picture was acquired by IRIDE’s Hawk for Earth Remark (HEO) satellites. IRIDE is a nationwide Earth commentary mission initiated by the Italian authorities and developed by the European House Company (ESA) for the Italian House Company (ASI). The programme is an formidable house initiative funded by Italy’s Nationwide Restoration and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which goals to modernise and revitalise the Italian financial system. The programme is because of add extra satellites to its constellation on 1 October.